32
32
Callum
Callum: Want me to swing by the house later?
Mum: New meds seem to be working; he’s fallen asleep in front of the TV.
Don’t worry yourself, have some fun.
Callum: I always worry.
Mum: Who’s the parent here?
Callum: Hard to say.
Mrs Brodie used to say the Macabe brood were raised by wolves.
Mum: She was always an old grump, that’s why the school fired her.
Callum: I think she retired after Heather filled her desk drawer with worms and called it a science project.
Mum: She was a very inventive seven-year-old.
“So I said to him, Marcus, if you want my grandmother’s china set, you’re going to have to talk to my lawyer.” Jill Mortimer finally paused to take a breath.
Sucking obscenely loudly through her straw.
“Can you believe the audacity of the man?”
“It sounds like a bad situation.” Head pounding from music and the little fact of my brother currently spinning the love of my life in his all too capable arms, I was scraping the bottom of the barrel for my diplomacy.
Jill scoffed and signalled to April who lingered behind the bar for a refill.
April topped up Jill’s glass without a word, her moss-green eyes sliding to me as she punched the soda gun a little harder than necessary.
I cocked a brow in question, and her eyes narrowed.
Never one to take a hint, I stuck out my tongue, fully committed to this silent conversation without the faintest idea of what was actually passing between us.
Sweet little April could have been communicating anything from, Stop acting like a maudlin prick , to, Your kilt’s tucked up at the back and your arse is on display to the entire village.
I patted a hand down my backside, finding the plaid hanging exactly as it should be.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’d been caught unawares.
Wearing a kilt wasn’t for the faint-hearted.
With a final glare, April cut down the bar to the next patron and Jill pulled a silver hip flask from between her breasts.
Averting my gaze to confirm that Juniper and Alistair were in fact still dancing, I said a little too bitterly, “You brought your own whisky?”
“Heavens no.” She unscrewed the cap, adding a very generous glug of a clear liquid to her glass.
“It’s gin. I might be forced to give up my Scottish citizenship, but I can’t stand the stuff.”
“Then why did you come?”
The curl of her hand around my bicep made me jump and I realised I was still staring at Juniper.
Her blunt bob was as sharp as a knife’s edge, one side tucked behind her ear as she leant in to better hear Alistair, displaying the row of tiny little gold hoops I’d traced with my tongue this morning.
It felt like punishment for being a coward.
I should have told him how I felt weeks ago.
Years ago. She’d be in my arms right now.
How did anyone fumble the bag quite this spectacularly?
“I hoped I’d get a chance to talk to you.” Jill’s fingers slid from my bicep to my forearm.
“ Jill —” I started to draw away.
“Later.” With a sly little wink, she pressed her back to the bar beside my elbow, gazing at the dance floor as she sipped her drink.
“Oh, look,” she nudged me.
“Your brother and Juniper Ross are looking very cosy.” I couldn’t tell if she was purposely trying to provoke me.
But that ugly feeling racked higher and I curled my fingers, anchoring myself to the bar.
Either Jill possessed the uncanny ability to read the tension pouring from me or it was total ignorance that made her continue, “ Poor girl , it will never last.”
She didn’t sound the least bit sorry.
Remembering the embarrassment on Juniper’s face when we’d overheard Jill and her friends gossiping in the village, I bit out, “And why’s that?”
Jill tutted, resigned to being the only person capable of reading between the invisible lines.
“Well, Alistair’s a doctor. If he’s to be respected in the village, he’ll need a good woman on his arm, not a snake-tongued lass who’s slept with half the island and dresses as though she’s eager to take on the rest.”
Indignation rattled through me, so acute I felt my bones quake.
Instead of rising to her transparent attempt to bait me, I released a low, appreciative whistle.
“I’m impressed she finds the time to bed hop while running a successful business.”
Jill scoffed, “That’s a generous assessment of that rundown little inn. Don’t play with me, Callum, you can’t seriously t hink she’s a suitable match for you … your brother.” She fumbled to finish.
It was too late. I’d caught her slip.
I took in her flushed cheeks.
The way her eyes bounced between my face and the glass in her hand.
If he’s to be respected in the village, he’ll need a good woman on his arm .
Alistair didn’t even live in Kinleith.
Her dislike of Juniper had nothing to do with Alistair or even who Juniper chose to spend her nights with …
all she cared about was that it wasn’t me.
Just like that, I was done.
Bending, I fixed my gaze on Jill’s, removing any possible chance of misinterpretation.
“I’m only going to say this once and I expect you to heed my warning. From now on, you don’t say another ill word about Juniper. Scratch that – don’t even say her name. Understand?”
Her mouth gaped but she covered her shock with a laugh.
“Callum, I didn’t mean to upset—”
“Yes you did. You knew exactly what you were doing. Juniper doesn’t need me to defend her, but I refuse to listen to another second of your vile shit. Tell me you understand,” I demanded, eager to get to the only person I truly wanted to spend this night with.
Still swaying horrendously out of time, every moment Juniper danced with someone who wasn’t me had the red mist rising higher.
Brother or a fucking stranger off the street, it didn’t matter.
Those should be my toes she’s massacring .
“Callum—” Jill reached for me.
I retreated, never wanting those hands on me again.
“What’s wrong?” Her eyes searched mine and I saw the precise moment she found her answer.
“ You and her? ” she hissed.
“I knew it. I didn’t want to believe it, but I knew .”
The envy in her tone left me twitching, it was like looking in a fucking mirror.
For that reason alone, I tried to soften my voice.
“I’m sorry for my part, I should have been upfront from the very beginning. Regardless of my feelings for Juniper, nothing would have happened between us. I’m still happy to be your vet with the presence of Kelly in the surgery. Otherwise, I can make some recommendations—”
“Fuck yourself, Callum.” Her lips bared in a snarl.
“Are you honestly delusional enough to think you stand a chance there? Wake up! It couldn’t be more obvious that she’s still in love with him.” Setting her glass down with a careless smack, she snatched up her purse and beelined for the door.
Like a true glutton for punishment, I instantly sought out Juniper.
Still dancing with my brother, they were chatting almost amicably through a slow number.
Alistair gazed at her like she’d hung the fucking moon, eating up every word from her lips.
I didn’t know what I’d expected when the two of them finally spoke again, but it sure as shit wasn’t whispered words and pleasing smiles.
Signalling for a refill from April, my brain took a tortuous journey back to another night, that very same dress, a glass of whisky in my hand while I lurked at the bar and watched them dance at a distance, my jealousy almost eating me alive.
Tonight, they couldn’t have danced more than two songs together, yet it was long enough to unearth every contemptible thought I’d ever had.
I wasn’t particularly proud of this side of myself, the covetous beast that rattled the bars of its enclosure any time Alistair got within an inch of her, but it was there all the same.
“That went well.” Mal’s low rumble cut in just in time to stop me doing something stupid.
“About as well as to be expected,” I shot back with a bluntness that didn’t invite him to linger.
Being a stubborn bastard, he waited, hands drumming on his folded arms. Why of all times did he choose now to take an interest?
“Go on then.”
“What?” He feigned casualness.
A good job April was the actor in this pairing.
“Cut the crap, Malcolm, I know when you have something to say. You’re far too fucking obvious.”
“Fine! I’ve known about …” Reddening from the collar of his shirt to the tips of his ears, he wiggled a finger in Juniper’s direction.
“The entire time.”
What the fuck?
“How?”
“Juniper told April. I overheard.” His grimace was enough to make me laugh.
“It’s not funny. She made me an accomplice.”
I laughed louder, drawing stares.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I’m keeping my nose firmly out of it.” Turning, he planted a hand on the bar.
“If Alistair has a problem with it are you going to stop?”
“Thought you were keeping your nose out of it?”
“Answer the question.” He shot back.
“No.” I barked. “I’ll be Juniper’s for as long as she wants me. End of discussion.”
“ Shit .” He cut a dark look to the dance floor.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I didn’t.
Being with Juniper was the only time in my life when I felt out of control.
Not going through the motions, day after day.
Fucking Community Ken , she called me, always doing exactly what was expected of me.
With her … I felt reckless.
Not the crash and burn kind of reckless but the desire for her to keep me on my toes for the rest of my life kind of reckless.
“Tell me, would you have done anything differently if it were April?” I bit out.
“If she’d been mine first? Would it have stopped you, or would you have taken whatever scraps she deigned to offer and be fucking thankful for it? Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn’t have lied and betrayed every single person in your life for a single night with her. Knowing you might never get another.” He didn’t need to answer.
The violent thrumming of his jaw was enough.
“Think less of me if you must, but don’t ask me to stop because I won’t.”
In my periphery, April hovered on the other side of the bar.
“You might as well say your piece too, Sinclair.”
She didn’t hesitate.
“Are you in love with my best friend?”
“Yes.” I hated not saying it to Juniper first.
“How long?”
“Years,” I said and April smiled.
“What?”
She shrugged, laying out a row of glasses on a tray.
“Just … Juniper deserves that kind of love.” She nodded to the dance floor.
“Perhaps you should tell her that yourself.”
My gaze snapped up in time to see Alistair’s head descending toward hers.
Whispering in her ear.
I moved without thought, the way I should have the instant she arrived.
The instant I saw her on that train.
Wielding my elbows like weapons, I barged through the throng.
Someone shouted in protest, a foot squished beneath mine, but I paid no attention.
My eyes too focused on Alistair’s hand on Juniper’s bare back where her dress dipped, steering her off the dance floor.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, Juniper laughed, the sound like a strike of lightning in my veins, scorching me from the inside out.
Obliterating every sensible thought in my brain that didn’t end with me ruining this cosy little moment.
Four steps, that was all it took to reach them.
For me to curl my hand around her bicep and draw her to my side.
“Callum—” Alistair sounded almost jovial, like he’d finally shifted the heavy weight he’d been carrying.
“What are you doing?” Paling, Juniper tugged her arm free.
But I was over standing on the sidelines, over choking down the words I wanted to say to keep other people happy.
“Callum—”
Ignoring her, I looked Alistair straight in the eye and said, “I’m dating Juniper. Sorry if that’s weird for you.”
The confession left my tongue like a hand grenade, but he didn’t so much as flinch.
For the space of two heartbeats, he just stared at me.
The band kept playing but the three of us held the attention of every person in the room.
I couldn’t give a fuck.
“Well?” I urged. “If you want to hit me, I won’t blame you.”
“I’m not going to hit you,” he replied, stone-faced, his tone so level I might have believed he’d gone through basic training himself.
“Is it true?” He asked Juniper.
She was frozen at my side, chin raised, eyes burning in defiance.
“We should talk about this outside,” she answered, voice coated in hoarfrost. The ice queen I’d once accused her of being.
I wanted to draw her into me, breathe in her sugar and spice scent and melt her with my tongue, but I knew right away I’d fucked up.
Knew it before I opened my damn mouth if I was being completely honest.
Alistair’s gaze bounced behind us, and then to the eager-eyed villagers as if noticing them for the first time.
“Very well.” A tight nod and he spun on his heel.
Juniper followed, her gait slow, the sway in her hips a pretty pretence at appearing unbothered.
I clenched my fists, the only thing I could do to stop myself reaching for her as I trailed after them like the fucking odd man out, catching the door when she let it slam in my face.
My laugh was bitter, in harmony with the cold night air stinging my overheated skin.
“Fucking touché, harpy.”
“Just stop talking.” Rounding on me, she poked a dagger-tipped finger in my chest. Nostrils flared, gloriously furious, she looked like a goddess, backlit by the moonlight.
“I think you’ve said more than enough tonight.”
“We agreed we were going to tell him,” I said calmly, very aware of Alistair two paces away, hands on his hips as though he needed to witness Juniper and me in real time to believe it.
“I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“Don’t pretend a single moment of that was about us!” she yelled, every line of her taut with fury.
“What happened to a soft launch? Those were your words and then you just claimed me like used furniture at a flea market. That was all about you and your own fragile pride!” With a disgusted shake of her head, she spun away, like she couldn’t even be bothered to look at me.
Hell no, sweetheart .
I followed her – like I always would – but Alistair was quicker.
So fast, I didn’t even see it coming.
One second I was on my feet, panic stealing the breath from my lungs as I watched her walk away, the next I was flat on my back, fire lashing from my cheek to my lip, my wee brother’s forbidding face blacking out the stars.